Zax - 5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 

 

 

After activating the amulet with ritual blessing and planting the seed of sentience within the ship, Zax went about carrying out his immediate plans. He approached the leeward side of the ship and waved his hand. A quarter sphere budded outward and grew into a large alcove off the main chamber of the ship. Zax stepped up into the space and waved his hand at the ceiling which faded from view, leaving apparently only space and a vista of Paragon’s approaching horizon. Another wave and from the floor a table and lounges and service for two formed. Zax was thinking over the menu when Timfer arrived.

 

It didn’t take much thought to see Timfer was in a state, so Zax followed thru with his plan to begin their “partnership” with ritual. He sat first at the table claiming the right of service; it stopped Timfer in his well brought up tracks, as Zax knew it would. The purpose of this ritual was to bring calm before the storm so that both parties would survive. There were roughly a hundred basic postures and gestures for ritual performance and discipline. But these could be used in many expressions to create a virtual language. Zax began with gestures of respect and diplomacy and gradually added possible friendship into the silent conversation.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Timfer wanted to speak, no he wanted to roar, but the rules of etiquette prevented him from saying anything until this ritual was completed. His belief in ritual was that ingrained, it was not only the sacred way but the Paragon way of life. Not that ritual solved all of life’s problems but it gave those with good will the opportunity to try. Since the Elite had taken the position of lo and was serving, the Elite had to speak first. And so far, he was conducting the ritual with hand and facial gestures. The Elite was a master of ritual of course, his every expression and posture a perfect pose. Civility. Still, there was so much Timfer wanted to say, demand, confront; and he kept noticing things that added to his list of things he was irked about. But it was hard to maintain a red, hot temper in the face of quiet, calm tranquility. It was a very frustrating meal, except it was superb. Each delicacy was followed with something even more tempting. But now at long last, only one step in the ritual was left and after that he could begin the fight… well open verbal conversation. It would still be scripted for a few sentences, but after that he would have his say.

 

The Elite was serving the pifera. The deep, rich red color and the enticing aroma spoke of the land and the fire hidden inside of Paragon. It was made from the pifera fungus that would only grow on the warm slopes of dormant volcanoes. Timfer took his first sip and then realized to his chagrin he did not even know the Elite’s name. The ritual required him to welcome the Elite by name.

 

Finally as the Elite sat his pifera cup down, he ended the formal greeting ceremony and gave his true name. “My name is Zax,” he offered. It was time for words. Ritual was over for the time being.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“If this is the way an Elite acts, I am glad I have never had one before. What have you done to my ship?” Timfer waved at the alcove and the view and stopped suddenly and stared opened mouthed for what he was sure was hours. Where was Paragon? At the start of the meal, a little less than an hour ago he knew he looked at a view of Paragon. But now he was looking at a green world. He had been so involved in the Elite and his ritual that he had not even noticed this change. And now that he looked back at… Zax, he noticed something else. The Elite looked different too. He looked larger for one thing, and the soft feminine curves had disappeared. Was he seeing things? What was going on?

 

 

~*~

 

 

“We have arrived… at my home.” Zax calmly said. You can’t explain a thousand things in seconds. But in rare occasions you can ask someone to listen. “The planet below is my home world, Qi.

 

“That’s not possible! Qi was destroyed in the Great Conquest a thousand years ago. My father’s father was there to see it. Your people destroyed it to prevent it from becoming spoils of war.” Timfer looked at Zac and stood, striding over to the edge of the alcove and took in the view below. It had to be a projection. But projections never seemed this real. He placed his hand over the view and felt the solid presents of a mirror wall that showed the outside view exactly in every detail. He knew the Elite was standing behind him now and he turned to continue their discussion. That is if he could wrap his mind around this. “How did we get here? And where is here?” And again his line of thought was stopped. He was staring at genitalia. The Elite… Zax now had male genitalia! At first speechless he pointed. But he managed to get out, “How?”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“I am no longer in ritual stasis. The imprint your people forced on mine no longer governs my existence. I am no longer ruled by the strictures of that imprint. I am not your captive any longer, nor was I ever really. You had my service, stolen of course, but you possessed only my service. Your weapon… your imprint trigger of long ago caught us completely off guard, that has never happened before.” Zax smiled.